Bloodlines Of An Honorable Family
by Y2Jen
Summary: After loosing both parents, Chris Jericho finds out the family secret... he has a cousin whose also a wrestler. He sets out to figure out who it is - but what do you do when you find you're related to your enemy Triple H? Find out! R&R and enjoy
1. Part 1 of 3

**Disclaimer**_ – Part three of the four part side story, this probably takes place after their enemy is really defeated because they are all living normally and peaceably. Shane isn't in this story, so he's probably out trying to find himself. Just a little spoiler tidbit, in the main story he ends up falling for Ivory and tagging along with Triple H's gang. So this side story will probably take place before that starts to happen. And Shawn Michaels is in this story again, by this point and time in the main story he starts to tag along with them more and more often but doesn't stay with them for great lengths of time. But anyway, enough of that stuff, and onto the story. And since it's long I will break it up into three segments. So read, review, and enjoy._

In a flash of light, the whole world seemed to go by as time for him stood perfectly still. It was almost like in those action movies, where it shows the city streets at night sped up to zoom by in six seconds, only it wasn't just street lights and cars on the freeway, it was an entire man's life. The whole thing was like a drive in movie, but instead of a motion picture it was snippets and scenes from the home movies of the mind, flashing against the star filled night sky. The car accident was just that, an accident, a freak accident. Driving home late at night after going to the store to get some food, a drunk kid had jimmied open a big rig and thought it would be great to take it out for a test drive. Unfortunately, the test drive wasn't that great for the ones who were trampled under the wheels, one Ted Irvine and an unknown passenger. After coming around the corner, the truck barreled down the freeway ramp, through a stop sign, and crashed.

"Chris…" A single word uttered under the oxygen mask, as paramedics and police and fire officials tried to save him after ripping him from underneath the wreckage.

"Hang on sir, hold on. Everything is going to be alright." A female's voice was heard, but it was muffled, his crystal clear vision growing fuzzy and blurred as he blanked out.

"Dad, dad!" A small voice was heard shrieking happily between giggles.

"Come on Chris!" Ted heard his voice echo back as he opened his eyes to a bright sunny summer day as he played with his small son in the front yard. "Are you ready? Catch!"

"Got it!" Chris jumped up and grabbed the ball.

"Yeah! You win!"

"Yay!" Chris cheered, bouncing around as he hugged the ball tightly. He ran and jumped onto his dad.

"Whoa!" Ted fell back and laughed. "You're getting strong, you'll be a great athlete if you keep that up."

"Really, you mean it!?" Chris's blue eyes went wide with joy.

"I do. I know it."

Chris smiled warmly, "Hey dad?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think Uncle John and Auntie Lynn would be proud too? I never see them anymore and it makes me unhappy."

Ted sighed as he saw his son's expression change, "Sure they will." He sat up, propping his son on his knee. "Just because you don't see anybody anymore, doesn't mean they don't like you any less. Family is one of the most wonderful things in the world, it's a treasure you should cherish. Your mom, me, your grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, just because you might be far away, doesn't mean you aren't close."

"Hmm…" Chris nodded, lowering his head in thought.

"You see what I mean?"

"Yeah…"

"Hey, come on. Don't be sad." Ted smiled, changing the subject. "Do you know what tomorrow is?"

"Wednesday…?"

"Yes, but what are we doing tomorrow."

Chris paused in thought, then he gasped as his face lit up, "OH! Going to wrestling!"

"Yeah!" Ted shook him happily. "Come on, let's go inside!"

"Yay!" Chris ran inside, arms out like a flying plane.

Ted chuckled to himself but then sighed as he looked up, lost in thought as he quietly muttered, "John, brother, we haven't seen you since Chris was an infant. You and Lynn have a family and lives all your own, but still, sometimes we do forget… I hope you both, as well as young Paul are well. He and Chris would get along so well, they are so much alike. Only… you in Connecticut, with money to spare, and me in Winnipeg. So near, yet so far…"

"Dad!" Chris called and came back to the door, waving to grab his attention. "Hurry up!"

"Ah." He smiled. "Coming kiddo!"

"Come on dad." Chris laughed, his young face bright with simple joy.

Come on dad.

Come on dad.

Come on dad!

COME ON DAD!

"Huh?" Ted felt his body jolt as he looked around.

"Dad!" Chris was screaming.

"Chris! Where are you?" He called through the darkness, he ran forwards but paused, a scene flashing before his eyes. Somebody had broken into the house, it was dark and hard to see with so few lights on, but Ted had attacked him with a hockey stick and he got away. "It's alright, I'm coming for you! Just stay there!"

"Dad!" Chris began to cough terribly. "Dad!"

"Chris?" Ted finally could see, the house was on fire! He ducked from the smoke as he climbed the stairs and up to the bedroom.

"Dad!" Chris was crying in fear, he was on the bed.

"Ted!" Loretta got up, she had been hurt pretty bad, so Chris was staying with her to help protect her since she couldn't move and he was too small to help her get up and out of the house fire.

"Lori, Chris! Let's go, we have to get out of here!" Ted reached out to help her up, Chris running to hold his other arm as he led them out the door.

"Dad, what are we going to do?" Chris sobbed, coughing as the fresh air replaced the smoke in his lungs.

"We have to get to the doctor." Ted looked down at his wife, she was fading fast from smoke inhalation. But she was also hurt very badly, and she had lost a lot of blood.

"Don't worry about me, I'm okay…" She smiled through her quiet whisper as she shut her eyes.

"Come on, stay with us." Ted growled as he lay his unconscious wife in the back seat of the ambulance, fire crews were on the house, police were filing the report and surveying damages, and the paramedics began to work on Loretta. "Come on, you can't do this." Ted growled, tears in his eyes.

"Teddy, it's alright." She whispered meekly, reaching out a weak hand. Ted clenched it tightly. "I love you."

"No, no! You have a son! What about Chris?"

"Chris, don't call him, I don't want him to see me like this." She opened her eyes slightly. "Tell him, that I love him…. I love him so very much, Teddy Bear." Her voice choked as tears began to fall from her own eyes.

"Oh Lori… no." Ted sobbed as he pulled her hand to her face, kissing it. "God I love you."

"Ted…" She smiled lovingly at him as she closed her eyes and her hand went limp.

"No, no, no…!" Ted gasped and buried his face onto his late wife. The paramedics stopped and looked at each other, it was never a good moment when a loved one is lost, and it was something that they had to get used to, and yet it got harder and harder each time.

"Dad? Dad… dad."

"Chris?" Ted turned around and rushed to him. "Chris, I'm so sorry."

"It's alright, dad. Mom told me, I was with her in the bedroom. She told me how much she loved me, she knew what was going to happen. She said, she was sorry…" He tried to stay strong for his dad, but his eyes were red and his cheeks stained with tears.

"Chris…" Ted knelt down and hugged him. Loretta Irvine had known she was going to die.

"It's alright dad, I'm here for you now. I won't ever go away. I'm here for you…"

I'm here for you…

I'm here for you…

Dad, I'm here for you.

I'm here for you.

I'm here.

Dad.

Dad?

Dad!

DAD!

"Dad!" Chris barked in the hospital room, standing over his father's bed as he shook him. "Come on dad, I'm here, I'm right here, wake up!"

"Ugh…" Ted groaned and his eyes slowly opened. "Chris… what the, what…" His blurry vision became less fuzzy as he saw his adult son over him. It was no dream, this was real.

"You're alright, ah, thank God." Chris sighed and then frowned. "Don't you ever freakin scare me like that again! Ugh!" He slumped down in the chair. "I can't believe you. Do you think I like to worry about you dad? Huh! God…!" He growled and began to rant. Ted chuckled to himself and let out a sign, it was like roles were reversed and Chris was the worried father, but then again Ted would hate to see his own son in the hospital. "Especially with how mom died, you go and do some stupid stunt like this. Dad, I don't believe you sometimes."

"I'm sorry… but, I did remember a lot, I had a lot of time alone to think, and…" Ted cleared his throat, Chris glancing up at him. "If I had died, you would be all alone. Sure, you are an adult, but there is so much you don't know, so much we haven't done, seen, so much I haven't told you. So much, there are so many things I wanted to do and say to you, and if I had died, all of that would've just been a long lost dream…"

"Dad…" Chris sighed, his dad must've had a near death experience, and he was in a hospital bed, maybe he should go easier on him. He stood up and sat on his bed, "Chill out dad, it's alright. You have a second chance now."

"Exactly." Ted groaned as he sat up slowly. Chris gasped and cringed but Ted went on, "Chris, you had once asked me a long time ago, about my brother John." He paused and looked around. "John, where is he?" John had been the passenger in his car, after so very many years apart, they finally got time to spend together and were going out to catch up and have some fun.

Chris sighed and lowered his eyes, "Sorry, dad. But, he didn't make it…"

Ted was in shock, he was utterly speechless, "John… my big bro…ther… is, gone…?" His head fell. "Oh my God…"

"Dad, I'm sorry…" Chris was quiet. He was an only child but could imagine losing a brother was worse than a very close best friend. "I never really knew John, and I know today was the first day in years that you finally got to spend some time catching up with each other, but he is still family, and, family is very important." Ted looked up as Chris spoke. "Somebody, once told me that…"

"Yeah, I saw that, when my life flashed before my eyes."

"Dad." Chris chuckled.

"No, I'm serious. And that brings me to what I was going to say. See, John was my brother, he was married to your Auntie Lynn. But they divorced, in fact they were also re-married. But, long story short they had a boy, he has a son, a few years older than you." Ted groaned, pain returning to his body.

"Take it easy, you're loaded on meds dad." Chris sat up to hold him back down.

"No, but, see, he's a wrestler, you might work with him, or have once before." Ted began to cough violently, Chris's eyes shaking.

"My cousin, a wrestler… but, who, what is his name, what does he look like, where is he from? I need to know more." Chris cried, holding on tightly to his shoulders.

Ted caught his breath and opened his eyes, smiling at his son, "You've grown up and made me so proud. You and your cousin may have been completely different, but I couldn't be prouder to call you my boy."

"Dad…" Chris was lost, he had no idea what to say or what was going on. What could he do?

"Chris…" Ted's eyes fluttered as his voice became quieter. "I'm sorry, I guess I won't be able to do all of those things with you after all."

"Don't be crazy dad, that's foolish!" Chris's voice choked.

"Everything I could tell you, now I can't… I'm sorry Chris, I'm so, so sorry…"

"Dad…" Tears poured from Chris's eyes as he bit his lip, his throat closing up dry.

"Forgive me, son… I love you." And with that, Ted shut his eyes and became silent.

"Dad, dad no…!" Chris held his breath as his face turned red, until finally he lowered his head and began to cry, the quiet sounds no longer being able to hide in his chest as they blurted out and became louder and echoed through the empty room.

About a week or so later…

The funeral had been very private, quick and small. Lynn had gone to John's funeral in Connecticut with their families. Chris had already said his goodbyes, so he left alone. Family was something that was very important to the Irvine's, Chris's cousins had made it out, but it was a small turn out, and after that, not much was said as everyone went their separate ways and returned to their normal lives. Chris was left alone to think about his parents, how his dad had always told him how important family was and how even if they were far away the ties would always be a strong bond. The will reading was scheduled for that weekend, so the family lawyer had already assigned a brief meeting time with Chris in New York. Chris had to go back to work, business is business and the show must go in when it comes to the world of show business. Emotionally, Chris was very quiet and self kept about his personal life, not liking to burden others with his private business. Chris's friends knew what had happened so they left him alone until he was ready to talk, of course there was only one person who could get away with talking to him first about things so deep and emotional.

"Chris, are you hungry?" Kari Ketchum asked in the hotel room.

"No." Chris was reading a TV guide on his bed, facing the window, his back towards her.

Kari sighed, she didn't want Chris go be sad, but she was getting angry, she had lost her mom as a toddler so couldn't exactly relate to his situation of having neither parent alive now, but she wanted to see him happy, "I know, coping takes a long time, but, we have to move on."

"It's, it's not that I'm worried about…" Chris spoke up rather quickly.

"Huh?" Kari blinked.

"Death is a part of life, I've made peace with that. When I lost my mom, I felt the same way. This isn't good bye, it's a see you later. I know I'll see them again." Chris turned to her.

Kari's face softened, "Then, what's wrong…?"

"I've just been thinking about how my dad said there was so much he wanted to tell me but never got the chance to, and on his death bed how he wished he had the time to tell me them now, but couldn't." Chris paused for a moment, then continued. "So I've been thinking about what he has told me, you know in the past. And he talked about family a lot, and how important it was to have strong bonds with those you care for." He glanced at Kari who was listening to him intently. He went on, "And he told me that I had a cousin, his father was in the car and died with my dad. But, although I never knew him, he said that he was a wrestler."

"A wrestler?" Kari's eyes went wide.

"Yeah, but I have no idea who he is, my dad couldn't tell me, and he didn't know for sure either."

"What is his name, you know, his real name?"

"Well, his last name is different than mine I know for sure, his parents were re-married divorced parents, if that makes sense."

Kari counted on her fingers, "So then he would have the last name of his mother's former husband. Right?"

"Correct." He nodded.

"So then you have to ask your aunt then."

"Yeah, Auntie Lynn. I don't want to bring up the past after she lost her second husband, my Uncle John. All I know is, I remember his name was… Paul, or something like that."

"Paul…" Kari began to think. "Well there are tons of wrestlers, I'll bet you've worked with tons of 'Paul's' in the past."

"And I may not have worked with him at all."

"You won't know until you call Lynn and find out her ex-husband's last name."

"But I don't have her number…"

"Ah…" Kari went pale at the stupid irony.

"Anyway." Chris cleared his throat. "Tomorrow I meet with the lawyer in New York. You're welcome to come with me if you like."

"Sure." Kari nodded. "We have until Monday to meet up with the others."

The next day, at the will reading…

"Welcome Chris." The lawyer greeted from behind his desk.

"Thank you for seeing me." Chris sat down, Kari did as well.

"I see you've brought a friend."

"Hi, I'm Kari." She smiled.

"Well, I know you're busy, so I'll just begin." The lawyer opened the envelope. "This sealed note inside is directed to be read by you and you alone, I haven't seen it, so you may read it at your leisure. This letter I have open is to the whole family so I will forward it on after today."

"Yes, I understand." Chris nodded.

The lawyer read the letter until finally reaching the end, "And so, I leave my items to my family, however they care to divide it up. My home was rented, so I leave my car to... well, it was totaled, so I suppose the insurance money will go to you instead, Chris."

"Right, uh huh."

He continued, "All bank monies of Loretta and I will be given to you as well, the sole heir of the family, after all final expenses have been paid. The only other items I choose to leave you are the entirety of my office. You may go through them if you wish, keep only what you desire and you can give the rest to family or close friend as chosen. Know that your mother and I love you, are truly proud of you, and to my family, I love you, miss you, and shall see you again. My only wish is that time didn't make us so busy, so busy that we never got to see each other when we were alive." He folded the letter back up and looked at Chris.

Chris was silent in thought and finally spoke up, "Alright. So, I guess I should go to the house now and look in my dad's office."

"Do you have keys?" Kari asked.

"Of course I do." Chris scoffed, pulling them out of his pocket.

And so Chris and Kari took the next plane out to Winnipeg…

"Chris, do you think it was just alright to leave like that? I mean, what about the others." Kari spoke up.

"I told them, they understand. Besides, I don't need a whole crew of chaperones and a child."

"Well then what about me?"

"Huh?" Chris turned to her.

"Why did you need me to come if you don't need anybody?"

Chris smirked, "You already know the answer to that. I wanted you to come."

"Really…?" Kari blushed meekly.

Chris chuckled, "How long have we been friends? You should know me better than to ask silly questions like that. Besides, if I had to pick somebody to travel with, I would have to choose you."

"Aw!" Kari beamed happily.

Chris sighed beneath his smile and put on his headphones, staring out the window in thought. He was still thinking about his dad and about his family past, how he lost his mom so young and so tragically. He had never been an emotional guy, he always kept things bottled up and hidden, he never revealed his weaknesses to anybody. The only one he ever learned to trust was Stephanie, and look at what happened between them. After that, the only person he ever allowed into his life was Kari, he trusted her more than any of the others in his life. Was it because she was just like Stephanie? There was just too much on his mind. He shut his eyes, he needed some sleep.

After arrival, Chris and Kari headed to the Irvine residence…

"So what do you think will happen to the house then?" Kari asked as she looked around, it was a large two story house with a large green yard, flowers under the windows, small bushes lining the hedges by the sidewalk, and a tree in the corner by the fence going to the next door yard. "This is amazing, this is your childhood home?"

"Yeah." Chris nodded.

"It's incredible, you're so lucky!" Kari was beaming in awe at how beautiful the house was.

"Four bed, four and a half bath. Front and back yard, attic and basement. Garage complete with laundry." Chris recited the specs like a hungry realtor.

Kari laughed, "Hey, this mansion is paradise. Remember, I come from an apartment, sharing a bedroom with my brother and one bathroom between the two of us. My grandma had only a one bedroom little house. This place is huge."

Chris smiled, "Yeah, I did have it pretty nice. But, I don't know… I mean, I have a home."

"Are you sure? Are you sure it's a home, and not a house?"

Chris turned to Kari and they stared at each other for a moment, "You know something? You're right. That place, I mean, it's just a place I go on off time, it's just a bedroom to me. But, this is my house."

"Maybe you should make this your residence. You could easily sell your place in Florida and buy it with the rest of the money they have saved in their bank. It is your home, and it's full of memories. I know I'd hate to have to sell our place or move, no matter what, it will always be my home."

"Well, now that that's figured out, come on, I want to show you around." Chris led her inside, and gave her the grand tour. "I saved the best part for last."

"Oh yeah?" Kari followed him out a door into a room of darkness. A light turned on as the garage door opened to reveal what lay inside. Kari gasped, "Oh my gosh…!"

"Great isn't it?" Chris stood proudly next to a beautiful black convertible Mustang, 1965, in nearly complete mint condition. "This is my dad's car, we used to work on it, and he said one day he would give it to me. I knew he loved it though, and all the time and money he put in working all those hours, I could never take it from him."

"Wow." Kari didn't even want to touch it, it was so perfect. "I know what you mean, my dad was like that with his cars. But never ANYTHING came close to like THIS. Whoa."

"Well, I guess I ended up getting after all though." Chris smirked as he rubbed the top. "Money, house and car."

Kari sighed, this must be so hard for Chris to come back and see all of these memories now that his parents were both dead, "I, I'm sorry Chris."

"Hmm?" He turned to her.

"I wish I knew what to say, I want to do something or be there for you, but, I can't… I don't know how to act. It's so hard for you and you try so hard. This is a tough time to you, and I can't really relate, so I don't know how I can be of any help towards you."

"Kari…" Chris sighed and walked over to her, putting a hand on her arm. "Just you being here, that's enough."

"Chris…" Kari felt her heart racing and she blushed slightly, having to glance away. "Shut up…" Chris just laughed.

Finally after seeing everything and making up his mind, Chris locked up after taking one last look around, "Well maybe in a few weeks I can take some time off and look take a better inventory and move my stuff over, and all that."

"This has been enough for one day, we should just call it quits and head back for now. We've still got a job to do."

"Yeah. And my cousin… I wonder who it is." Chris sighed as they walked off.

"I'm sure we'll find out. I mean, this is the marquee of sports entertainment. There isn't any other company around anymore, he would have to come here one way or another."

"What if he already came and went?"

"And what if he's already here? We don't know yet Chris."

"Why wasn't I told sooner? Why was it kept from me? This just seems so strange. Almost like he was hiding something from me, something he knew that he didn't want me to find out."

"Maybe they're criminals."

"Hey…!"

"I'm kidding! Look, we can ask questions and not get any answers, or we can look and keep going and maybe find them ourselves on our own."

Chris paused and made a face, "You know, you don't have to worry about this."

"I don't have to, but I want to." Kari smiled. "No matter what, we're always there for each other. I'm not going to get afraid or back out now. We're in this together, and I'll stick to it till the end. Because, I know you would do the same for me. Isn't that reason enough? Friend?"

Chris chuckled, "Yeah, sure whatever helps you sleep at night." He walked off.

"Hey shut up!" Kari laughed, chasing after him.

And so, things went back to being business as usual… but that didn't last too long…

"Chris, I'm going to be having you work with Triple H." Linda was saying in their meeting.

"Aw man…" Chris groaned to himself. "Things just keep getting better and better. Alright, that's fine. So will it just be a beat down?"

"For now, we'll see how it takes and go from there. Talk with Triple H and try to hammer things out."

"Yeah, hammer is right." Chris grumbled.

"We're going to do the injury angle, so get ready for a beating." Linda grimaced.

"Yeah, I know." Chris sighed. Linda was pretty much at the mercy of Triple H, she was in charge but Vince had left him with the title, and in order to make the angry man happy, you had to do whatever he wanted. "Well thank you."

"I know everything will be alright."

"Hey, I can take some of my aggression out right? Everything will work out for a reason." Chris gave her a reassuring smile and left the room. He headed towards the gym in the arena where of course Triple H would go to work out. Chris took off his shirt and began to box with the body bag, punching and roaring in rage. "Why does my life SUCK!"

"Do you mind?"

"Huh?" Chris turned, panting and dripping with sweat to see the man himself enter.

"This room is for real athletes." Triple H grumbled quietly, the kind of man who spoke quiet but exploded physically to let his fists do the talking.

"Beat it!" Ric Flair chimed in behind him.

"I don't see why we can't share." Ivory protested quietly, she had nothing against Chris. Why she hung out with the likes of Ric and Triple H was beyond Chris's understanding. "The room is big enough for both of you."

"You just don't understand, diva girl." Ric laughed, causing Ivory to frown angrily at him.

"So, little man. I hear we are to work together." Triple H passed Chris, leaving them to face their back towards each other. "I'll have you know, I've gotten stronger since the last time we met. I will destroy you if you can't hold your own."

"You just bring it, brother." Chris snarled, turning around. "You think you earned that title, it's only because Stephanie didn't give it to me that you ended up with it."

"Then prove me wrong…" Triple H glanced over his shoulder, causing Chris to freeze. "I'm better than you in every way. I grew up with money, my body is better, hell, even my blonde is better than yours." He smirked. "Just try, just try and prove me wrong." He walked off to go pump iron, Ric and Ivory following him. Chris snarled as he watched them go.

"Geez, what an ass."

"Huh?" Chris turned towards the doorway. "Kari…!"

Kari scoffed and walked towards him, leering at Triple H, "I am soo sick of that guy. I thought he was cute at first, I respected his athletic ability, but he's just a pompous dork! Where does he get off it…"

"Well, he may be right. He's like a bigger and better version of me."

"Please, he's nothing like you! You have such a better personality, and you're smoking hot!"

Chris chuckled, "Yeah, yeah… he is…"

"He would sell out his own family! I feel sorry for his poor parents. I hear that one is dead, or divorced or something. So maybe his childhood messed him up. Money can isolate you."

"Yeah, he's… hey, wait…!" Chris gasped, his heart freezing as thoughts flashed through his mind. "Triple H had money… he's from Connecticut… his family life, secluded in his childhood… He's blonde, and…" He squinted, in the darkness he could see both Lynn and John's faces. "Oh no…" His eyes shivered as he placed Triple H's long blonde hair around the face. "And Auntie Lynn…" A fear formed in the corner, and in a flash of light. "Dear God. Paul is… Paul is…. Triple H, is…!"

"Chris, what is it…?" Kari was wide eyed and shaking from Chris's physical appearance, she could tell by his stature and pale expression that something was really wrong.

"NNNAAAAAAHHHHHHOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!"

"Hmph." Triple H scoffed. "What's that idiot roaring about…?"

"Beats me, doesn't concern us." Ric shrugged it off.


	2. Part 2 of 3

Later on...

"No, this can't be… it's not true. It's impossible!" Chris was shivering, sitting on the edge of a bench in the locker room to the arena gym, a blanket wrapped around him.

"Search your feelings, you know it be true."

"What?" The pale Chris glanced up slightly.

"I said, I think you're making a big deal out of things." Kari handed him a hot mug of coffee to calm his nerves.

"Oh." Chris shook his head, he had been hallucinating. "I think it's making me literally sick." He eyed up at Kari who was staring back down at him, arms folded, and lowered her eyes into a frown. "Uh, oh achoo, cough, cough. Uh, yeah."

"Ugh." Kari rolled her eyes and let her arms fall to her side, putting her hands on her hips as she stared back down at him. "Look. I'm sure your dad knew, but he knew you were also such a baby that it would wreck you if he ever told you."

"So he left me clues to find out after he died." Chris grumbled. "Typical, dad…"

"Don't badmouth your father." Kari growled and then sighed, sitting down next to him. "You need talk to Triple H."

"Ha!" Chris scoffed. "Are you insane? He and I are like Russian commi cats and American dogs let loose rabid in a no DQ wrestling ring. And that's backstage in person, not out on stage."

Kari sighed to herself, "This is why I sympathized with your dad." She cleared her throat and stood back up. "You can't just live in the dark your whole life now that you know the truth. He was once the cousin you never knew, now you know him."

"Exactly, I know him now for who he is!"

"For who is, now! Not for who he was, for what he could've been." Kari paused but Chris just stared at her so she continued. "This is your chance to live things you never were able to do, now that you know the truth. Maybe you can change him, maybe you could've changed him in the past."

"Well maybe things will explode in my face."

"Maybe! But you never will know if you don't try!" Kari lowered her voice. "Chris I know how hard this is for you, really I do. But you'll live in regret wondering 'what if' for the rest of your life. You may be such horrible enemies, but what will it hurt to talk to him? Things may change, your future may change, your relationship with a man who hates you may change. Chris, this could be the start of something big, something great. But you'll never know, if you don't try."

Chris sighed in thought for a moment and then looked up at Kari with a smile as he stood up, "You know what kid, you're right. Maybe dad did this for a reason, and maybe now is the right time." He put the blanket on the bed. "I'll never know, if I don't try."

"Here, here!" Kari cheered, fist in the air.

"A toast, to us!" Chris lifted the mug and drank down the coffee in one whole swig. "AH!" Chris leapt into the air, dropping it as he raced around fanning his mouth, tongue out like a dog. "It burns, it burns! Hot, hot, hot!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Kari chased him.

"Ahem…"

"Eh?" They both froze and turned to see Triple H come out of the gym, covered in sweat as he took his muscle shirt off and walked towards them.

"If you don't mind moving out of the way, or even if you do, but a gym is for real athletes, and not child's play."

"Feh, you put the ass in Adonis."

"The only Adonis you could ever hope to be is an adenoid Adonis."

"Oh yeah, well…" Chris raised and finger and then paused, making a disgruntled face. "Wait, a what…?"

"Exactly." He dropped the shirt on Chris's head and went to the showers.

"Ugh…" Chris groaned, dropping it on the floor. "I'm not so sure about this now…" He looked sheepishly at Kari who was frowning and scoffed angrily as she rolled her eyes. "Uh I mean, cough, cough, achoo, oh, I feel sick again… I'd better go work out." He reached under his shirt and pulled out his chains. "Here, hold those for me…" He walked into the gym.

"Hopeless…" Kari sighed to herself and walked off and went to turn the corner of the door when she banged into somebody. "Ah, oh." She stumbled back and shook her head. "Huh?"

"Uh…" Ivory looked up at her from falling down on her but. "Oh, um…" She blushed.

"Ugh, I'm sorry…" Kari sighed and bent down to help her up. "It's my fault, I'm lost in my own world here, heh."

"No, it's alright." Ivory smiled. "I should've been paying attention myself, I had too much on my mind and wasn't watching where I was going." She paused, "Oh." She reached out and picked up what Kari dropped. "Here, you might be missing this."

"Ah, oh thank you!" Kari gasped and put it in her pocket. "That's Chris's, they mean the world to him, I appreciate that. I'm such a klutz."

Ivory giggled, "Hey, you want to come to the cafeteria with me? I have to wait there while Triple H finishes his shower."

"Sure. Chris is working out himself, so I have nothing going on." Kari smiled warmly and they went to the cafeteria where others were already eating. "Hey guys!" Kari waved as she spotted her friends.

"Kari!" The child Ash waved, standing on the table to get her attention.

"How are you?" Trish Stratus smiled.

"Haven't seen you in a while." Christian looked up from a mouthful of food.

"I hope Chris is doing well after his loss." Shawn Michaels added sympathetically.

"Yeah, he's coping. He's doing much better, but I know he hates not being able to have been with you during this time." Kari sat down, Ivory sitting down reluctantly next to her. "Ivory will be joining us if that's fine with you."

"Sure, the more the merrier." Trish gave her a kind smile.

"Thanks." Ivory blushed, not making much eye contact as she looked around the room.

"You want something to eat?" Kari asked.

"Oh, maybe just something to drink." Ivory looked at her, the only one she looked at in the eye.

"I'll be back." Kari got up and went to the line.

"Hey, you're the girl with Triple H and Ric Flair right?" Ash asked.

"Yes." Ivory nodded, looking at the table.

"Why do you hang out with them, they're such horrible people." Christian remarked.

"Christian…!" Trish elbowed him quietly.

"Nobody knows them like I do, Triple H saved me, and Ric Flair is such a fun character, I can't imagine traveling and working without them." Ivory finally looked up to defend her two friends. "They're the only ones who were ever nice to me when I first came, and I owe my whole life in this business to them."

Shawn sighed, "I guess we just have different pasts with them, and a person's history has a great deal of affect on others that surround them."

"Yes, I suppose so… I just wish." Ivory sighed and rested her chin on her hand, elbow on the table. "I just wish that everyone else could see them, in the same light that I do. The way in my own eyes…"

Trish's softened her expression, "Triple H isn't like that though, I know we were all surprised when they let you tag along, especially since he hated all the divas."

"Maybe you're changing him?" Christian spoke up. "For the better, you know."

"Maybe… you think?" Ivory perked up a bit, glancing back up at them. She smiled at the thought as she began to think to herself, these were the first group of people that she had gotten along with and that had welcomed her with kindness, and yet they were the people that Triple H and Ric Flair hated the most. Were they afraid they'd hurt her, or he'd loose her to them? She wasn't sure, but Triple H had always been feared and disliked for his power and attitude, and everyone was always shocked to see that he kept Ivory beside him. Was it because of Stephanie, did she remind him of her? Or was she in fact changing him, just the way Kari had first changed Chris in the beginning after Stephanie. "I don't know what has happened, or might happen in the future, all I know is that I'm happy, just being there with them, Triple H and Ric Flair…"

"Hmm…" Ash sighed and looked down at his empty plate.

"Ivory!"

"Huh?" Ivory looked up to see Ric barge in the doorway.

"What are you doing!"

"Waiting in the cafeteria, like Triple H told me to."

"Why are you with, them!"

"Them." They turned up their nose at the remark.

"Come on, sit with me. They're really nice. You have to wait with me, remember?" Ivory moved over to let Ric sit down next to her.

"Oh, ugh… why I do these things for you." Ric grumbled and slid down next to her, glaring at the others.

"Hello to you too, Naich." Shawn said with sarcasm.

"Come on, we should all be friends, I don't know why you all hate each other so much. We all work together and have the same dreams, we should be happy, not fighting." Ivory said with a child like innocence.

"But they fight for a living." Ash spoke up.

"But they should keep the fighting in the ring, is what she means." Trish explained.

"That's a paradise that Triple H and Chris Jericho would never allow." Christian chuckled.

"So it's only because of them? You all don't hate me?"

"No of course not!" Trish gasped at such a question. "Ivory, you are so amazing, we would love to consider you a friend."

"Really? Me too!" She beamed. They all smiled, she and Kari were exactly alike, so identical it was crazy they weren't related. So why did Triple H love her, and hate Kari? Was it because of Chris, like she had said? No, it was because of Stephanie. Both Kari and Ivory were identical to her, Kari had gone with Chris, so Triple H hated her because of that. Is that also why he saved Ivory, to have his own Kari? "Oh Kari, you're back!"

"Hi, sorry it took so long." She smiled and paused. "Huh? Ric?"

"Yeah, yeah, get used to it girl." Ric grumbled.

"Look, I don't know why you have such an attitude, we aren't doing anything wrong, and Ivory likes us." Kari sat down on the other side of Ivory.

"But this wouldn't make Triple H happy, that's all. I don't care, myself." Ric muttered.

"Good." Kari pouted, turning her back to him.

"Oh…" Ivory looked down but couldn't help but giggled and smile to herself, she had never had so much fun or been so happy, well, without Triple H of course.

"Oh where is he, it's been over an hour!" Ric looked at his watch.

"Yeah, and Chris should've been done doing cardio half an hour ago." Kari was getting worried now as well.

"Wait, you all left them alone, in the same room together?" Shawn gasped.

"Oh no…" Kari swallowed the dryness in her throat and stood up. "I gotta go!" She ran off.

"Hey no, wait!" Ash cried, but she was already gone. They all sat there, not knowing what else to do than to just wait for her to come back.

"Oh, this is all my fault…" Ivory frowned sadly to herself.

Meanwhile, what had transpired earlier in the gym and locker room…

"Kari only meant well, to make me happy. She always does so much for me, maybe I was too hard on her." Chris panted to himself as he ran on the treadmill. "She does have a big heart, maybe I should apologize and give her idea a try after all." He hopped and put one foot on each side as the belt slowed down until it stopped. He caught his breath and wiped his forehead with a towel. "Now, should I do a bike, or step incline." He got off and looked around at his options.

"You… what are you still doing here. I thought I made myself clear."

"Oh great, you know, you just showered but I think it made you stink worse." Chris snarled, turning around, reacting on instinct of how he and Triple H always fought verbally. "You have that wet dog smell."

"Really, well you have the annoyance of an alley cat." Triple H dropped his gear bag.

"Well then what are you going to do about it now?" Chris smirked, getting into a fighting stance.

"Take the stray, to the, pound." Triple H cracked his fists and flexed.

"Rah!" Chris gave the battle cry and attacked first, their verbal quarrels always ended up turning into a physical fist fight. "I'll neuter you, and make you MY bitch!"

"And to think, this will be practice." Triple H dodged and turned. "For our real encounters in the ring." He lifted his leg quickly into Chris's stomach and he cried out. "I hope you act better than you fight for real." He grabbed him by the shoulders and threw him against a support beam in the middle of the room.

"Ah!" Chris cried out, the wind knocked from him. "Please, I only let you think you have the upper hand, so when you fall, you fall harder!" He got up and rushed as he went to punch but dodged to the side and leapt to kick Triple H right in the chest, sending him skidding back against the rack of weights under the mirror.

"If you can move as fast as your mouth, we may have something going here." He smirked, enjoying this. "Maybe… Now take this."

"No thanks, try that!"

The battle went on and on, neither one giving up or winding out, until finally, "Stop!"

"Huh?" They turned in their fatigue fighting to see Kari standing panting in the doorway.

"Kari…!" Chris gasped, his eyes wide as he finally snapped out of it and remembered. He swallowed hard, "Oh God…" He turned slowly back to Triple H, who stood facing him ready and waiting for him. But the blow that would follow, would be more powerful than any move in all the wrestling hold books.

Kari started to step slowly towards Chris, "Don't tell me, you didn't yet…"

"Erm, uh…" Chris bit his lip and looked away.

Triple H glanced from Chris to Kari and back again, studying them carefully. Kari was standing very stiff almost as if she were going to jump back any second, her face was very stern yet nervous and she seemed to be quite worried, and usually around him, Kari would be behind Chris or calling out support or criticism. Chris was very crouched and slouching, almost as if he were holding back or hiding from something, his tone usually around him would be very crass and full of energy, but this was the complete opposite. He lowered his eyes, he could tell something was wrong and something was going on.

"Triple H…" Kari looked up at him, her eyes showing him sympathy.

"What's going on…" Triple H squinted, he didn't like the feeling he was getting from them.

"I'm sorry, I should've been more understanding and not be so rough." Chris sighed, not facing Triple H as he stood up straight. "I know what you're going through, and I understand why you've been so upset lately and so angry and self kept, more so than usual."

"You're, sorry…?" Triple H wrinkled his nose.

"You didn't take off any time, you've been forcing yourself on and pushing through, even though John was killed."

"What…!" Triple H's eyes went wide, his pupils dilating into specs at what he just heard Chris say.

"My father died too, and, the thing is…" Chris was staring at him, his face low and his eyes dull with sorrow. "They were in the same car…"

"How do you know my step-father." Triple H tried to sound threatening, but his voice was shivering as his throat tightened shut.

Chris's mouth was so dry that it came out as a whisper, "Because they were brothers."

"Huh….!" Triple H gasped, his face pale as he stared at his enemy in shock.

"I'm sorry…" Kari spoke up, she knew it was hard for Chris to say the words, and it was even harder for Triple H to hear and accept them. "That makes you..." Don't say it… "Cousins…"

"You, were my cousin Chris…. You were THAT Chris from Winnipeg…?" Triple H took a step back.

Kari stood next to Chris as he spoke, "Trust me, I was more shocked than you are to find out, and I just learned of this when my father died. I was there in the room with him and John, and I'm sorry. I didn't know until too late…. You are so dedicated to your job that you probably didn't even go to the funeral."

"What is it of any of your business." Triple H tried desperately to defend himself, but he was growing weaker.

"My father always told me, family is a very important part of your life, whether you see them all the time, on occasion, or never at all. Whether they're alive or dead, close or far, they will always be your family, no matter what. I know you were never really close to your family, and I understand that completely, you've had a rough childhood, and I'm not one to judge. We all have hard childhoods." Chris glanced at Kari but continued. "But we have to use what we learned from the past in the present to make for a better future. We had no past together, if we had, who knows what we would be like today? We have a lot of animosity towards each other here in the present, but now that we know our past, we can make a change. We have two choices. One, we can go on living like we did in the past a few weeks ago, not knowing who we were to each other, other than being enemies working in the same business. Or we can take what we now know, take what we could've had, and find out who we could've been, and we can have a better future…" He reached out his hand, his dull sorrow eyes looking up into his wide shocked expression. "Together. Paul…"

"Uh…" Triple H was lost for words at this moment in time, slowly glancing down at Chris's outreached hands.

"Come on… come on…!" Kari cheered to herself, fists clenched with determination.

Triple H was almost shivering until he finally growled, shut his eyes and turned his head away, slapping away Chris's hand, "No…!"

"Uh, hey…!" Chris cried out in shock, not understanding. "What gives…?"

"You think that all of this will change anything? Huh! No! The past is just that, the past! It makes no difference to me if we're cousins, brothers, roommates, twins separated at birth, or nothing at all! That's all it is to me, nothing at all. You are who you are, I am who I am, nothing changes that, family, friend, foe, nothing!" Triple H turned around and began to breathe very quickly, trying to keep his composure. "I'm glad I know this now, yes, and don't get me wrong it's very interesting… but it means nothing to me. You are nothing to me, no more than a co-worker I dislike. And maybe…" He glanced over his shoulder. "Even more so now…"

"Uh… Triple H…" Kari felt like she was breaking as she watched this unravel. "Please, you can't see it like that…"

"I can see it however I want to, and who are you to lecture me." He began to walk off. "I thank you for your kindness to Ivory, but I don't need your sympathy. And I don't need your help."

"Help…" Chris blinked. "Look Trips, we're working together, like it or not, but maybe we can put aside or differences as enemies in the workplace, and out of the ring, off stage, be like cousins together."

Triple H growled, he could tell that this meant a lot to Chris and Kari too, but it was still very hard for him to accept this and take it all in, especially now after he had lost John, "I'll think about it…" But from the way he said it, it didn't sound like he would. He walked off. "I was never close to my family, I'll say that for the press, but in all honestly, the reason we probably never met was because of one thing…" He stood tall with his back towards Chris as he said this in a cold and quiet voice, "Because I hated my family."

"Uh…!" Chris and Kari gasped, and with that Triple H was gone.

"Chris, I…" Kari turned to him after a moment, feeling very sad and upset.

"Just leave me alone." He sighed and turned and walked off.

"No wait Chris, please…!" Kari cried after him, but he didn't stop. "I'm sorry…!" But he was already gone. She sighed sadly, tears forming in her eyes, what could she do now, what has she done wrong this time...?

Soon Monday came and the night for the new feud was at hand, they were running as the match before the main event and Triple H was in the process of delivering a promo backstage…

"Triple H." Coach had caught up with the champion before he went out through the gorilla position. "May I have a word."

Triple H fumed and turned to the announcer, "What…"

"I'm just wondering how you're feeling about the new number one contender Chris Jericho. What are your thoughts on your opponent tonight?"

Triple H leered for a moment before turning his silent yet deadly stare to the camera and adding some threatening words to the foreboding glare, "Coach, you want to know how I feel? Well I'll let you know. I'm feeling full of rage. I'm feeling full of anger, and I want to let that ruthless aggression out. I'm not one to talk, I let my emotions flow through my fingers and let my fists do the talking. I'm feeling a lot of animosity towards my opponent, everyone out there knows that Chris Jericho and I do not have the best of pasts. So what are my thoughts, Coach? I'm thinking about how much I will enjoy my non-title match tonight. See, I made this match for a reason. This is a warning to everyone back there, this is what I'm capable of doing. And in a DQ match there is no remorse, and I won't hold back. Chris Jericho is just the unlucky one who got thrown under my radar over his win last month against RVD. With Chris out of the way, I will open the door for a new, and hopefully better opponent. See, my opponent doesn't really matter, only three things matter." He raised his fist and raised a finger per count, "One, two, three." And with that he raised his other hand, clenching his world title in hand. "This is the only thing I care about, and I will send people to the ER in order to keep it. So Chris, call now for a reservation, because I am the game… and I want to play…" The camera closed in on his fierce scowl.

"Well the gauntlet is down!" King announced as the scene cut to Chris Jericho walking down the hall towards his match, Kari Ketchum following in tow as they got ready for commercial.

"That match is coming folks, next." And with JR's final words, the screen went black.

Backstage, Chris and Kari stood waiting to go out first, "Break a leg tonight Chris." Kari encouraged. "I'm with you every step of the way."

"Well I guess this no DQ stipulation is a good way to get out everything I have bottled up inside of me as of late." Chris hopped in place.

"Fifteen seconds." A tech called out.

"Now I want you to stay back and keep out of the way." The countdown began and with the boom of the pyros, Chris jumped out, "It's game time!" Chris went down to the ring and did his thing, and Kari went around the apron and stood in front of the announce table as she and Chris turned as the music silenced and faced the titantron, waiting for their opponent to appear on stage. "Here we go." Chris leered, his eyes cold and his expression stiff with darkness.

"Time to play the game." Triple H appeared as the crowd cheered, both Chris and Triple H were loved by the fans. He threw his bottle and climbed the turnbuckle, leering down at Chris. He jumped down, their eyes fixed as they moved in closer until the two were meeting nose to nose.

"Alright, let's get the show on the road." The referee grabbed the title and called for the bell.

"Well little cousin, it's time to play the game." Triple H growled.

"Too bad I'm a poor sport when I lose." Chris barked back as they both locked hands, trying to push the other back in a test of strength as the fans cheered with approval over their two favorites. They knew that this was going to be a good match, one they would remember.

"Come on Chris!" Kari cheered, pounding on the ring mat.

"I don't get paid by the hour, so I will end this now." Triple H kneed Chris in the gut, knocking the wind out of him as he took a step back. "I'll make this beat down short and sweet." He decked Chris in the jaw, then picked him up by the shoulders to deliver a power bomb. Then he climbed the top rope, "Get used to looking up at me, I'm already used to looking down." He jumped off to deliver a knee to the shoulder but he gauged his distance wrong and his leg came down square on Chris's neck.

"AH!" Chris roared, his mouth opening wide as his neck throbbed.

"Oh crap." Triple H tensed, he realized immediately what had happened, but he shook the worry from his mind, the injury had been unintentional but he remembered who he was fighting here. He got up and turned, picking Chris up by the hair, "Sorry man, but, business is business." Not thinking he was hurt too badly he did an Irish whip and delivered a clothesline right to the injured larynx.

"AH!" Chris screamed in ravenous pain again, the strong arm wrapping around his neck as he once again fell back on the ground, panting heavily, desperate for as he clenched his neck, it was already swelling up badly. 'Damnit, this is bad. I can't breathe…!'

"Chris…" Kari was frozen, she knew he was hurt, badly, but she couldn't do anything.

"Come on, I'll be nice and end this right now." Triple H grunted through clenched teeth as he stomped repeatedly on Chris. He continued to cry out in agony and Triple H finally could see blood in Chris's mouth as he gasped for air, his throat swelling and growing bright red, and he realized how injured Chris in fact really was. Triple H knew how bad a crushed throat could be, RVD had accidentally done the same thing to him in the past, it was very painful, frightening to be unable to breathe, and the trip in the hospital wasn't necessarily icing on the cake. "Darn." He shook his head and picked Chris up to give him the Pedigree, but Chris resisted and blocked it. "What are you doing!?" Chris didn't respond, he was running on instinct and not about to loose this way now to him. The show must go on. So Triple H took another route and applied the sleeper hold. "You idiot, I was trying to help you." After some slight struggling, Chris finally became limp.

The referee couldn't watch anymore, he went in and picked up Chris's arm, "One…. Two… Th- NO!" The fans roared as Chris kept his fist raised. The ref was in shock, well aware from the blood flying from Chris's mouth that he was hurt terribly.

"What the…!" Triple H was shocked and let go.

"Chris…?" Kari gasped, what was going on, he was hurt, why did he want to continue.

"Just lay down!" Triple H rolled him on his back and covered him.

"One! Two! …NO!" Chris kicked out, the fans going nuts. Chris coughed violently, blood coming out of his mouth as he keeled at the waist, nearly suffocating from his own swollen throat.

"Oh King, Chris Jericho is hurt bad." JR said quietly, knowing well that this wasn't planned and his injury was very serious.

"Get out of there!" Kari cried.

"What are you doing, you are such a fool." Triple H growled but then stopped, noticing Chris sitting haunched on the mat, not responding or even looking up to defend. "What's the matter with you, have you lost too much blood, not getting air to your brain? What is…" Triple H stepped forward but then stopped, he suddenly knew exactly what was going on, he could feel it in the air how Chris's aura had changed in his presence. Chris wasn't responding yet he was conscious, his face was dark, his stature was poised and ready, the adrenaline controlling his instinct. "Chris…"

"Chris…?" Kari tensed, she could feel it too.

Chris snarled deeply in his chest as he looked up at Triple H, his eyes were dull yet piercing and cold with hatred, he had lost too much blood and air and in his semiconscious state he had snapped into a seeming feral like person, just like he had before many times in the past. Triple H had faced him this way before, he was incredibly violent when he ran on instinct, almost as if his soul was unconscious and his body was acting on his own accord, and out for blood. It was because of those fights that Triple H knew Chris had unimaginable potential, but his heart made him hold back. But with hi mind silenced, his body could do as it pleased. Chris's body flexed as the blood pumped and rushed through him, he growled angrily, teeth beared, and leapt up with such speed that he delivered an enziguri to a standing Triple H with such force that it caused him to fall before he even realized what all had happened. The fans cried with excitement.

"What the… oh darn." Triple H growled. "The idiot. So now this fight is for real, I'd better get serious and end it now." It didn't matter to him. He slid out of the ring and reached under the apron to pull out his sledgehammer. The fans rose to their feet, they didn't know how badly Chris was hurt, they were just enjoying the show.

"No Triple H, don't do it!" Kari pleaded.

"You know as well as I do what's going on, this is for his own good." He leered at her.

"Yes I know, but…" Kari's voice cracked, her eyes were shaking with fear.

"He's going to have to go to the hospital anyway, I might as well just snap him out of it quick."

"Just… be careful."

"Yeah, I know." Triple H turned back to the task at hand and saw Chris snarling and jumped out between the ropes at him, lunging with arms open and fingers out like the claws of a wild beast. But Triple H had enough time to react, raising the hammer to hit him in the throat again, causing him to fly face first into the announce desk, hitting head first with great velocity. Kari screamed, the blow to his head was with such impact that he was knocked out. "It's over…" He dropped the sledgehammer and backed up against the ring to catch his breath as the referee counted to ten.

"Ring the bell! Ring the bell!" He called and the fans roared their approval for such a match. As Triple H's song began, the ref gave him his title and raised his hand.

"Here's your winner and still world heavyweight champion, Triple H!" Triple H turned and posed but glanced slightly over his shoulder to see the ref trying to get Chris conscious.

"Hey, wake up, are you okay?" He tapped his face, blood staining his chin and cheeks.

"Oh Chris…" Kari whimpered, Chris was back to normal but out cold, his face was covered in sweat and very flush, he was back to normal now, but was in really bad shape.

"Get help out here now!" The ref called and raised his hands into an X, usually if they were alright they raised a fist into the air, but Chris was in need of serious medical attention.

Triple H walked to go backstage and rather than going the way he was facing he did one last turn in pose and walked back the other way, passing Kari and the others as he quietly added, "I'm sorry…"

"Huh…!" Kari gasped and whirled around but Triple H had already gone around the ring and was making his way back upstage. "Trips…" Her eyes shook. What did that mean exactly…?


	3. Part 3 of 3

Later backstage…

Chris was coughing and gasping violently trying to get air into his lungs, spating occasional spots of blood, he had refused medical assistance backstage, the ref and Kari stood on each side, arm in arm to help him walk back to the trainer's room where the doctors were waiting, but still Chris struggled to resist until his body couldn't last anymore and they got him to lay back on the table.

"My body feels all torn up, I can't move… I can barely breathe. I feel kinda cold…" Chris thought to himself, his mind was blank and he felt as if he were in darkness.

"Chris, Chris!" Kari cried, in reality in the trainer's room Chris was struggling to breathe, gasping and panting desperately for air, his face covered in sweat.

"Chris just open your mouth." The doctor pleaded, holding a light ready but he didn't open his eyes. "You need medical aid, you are in serious condition."

"Chris, I'm here with you…!" Kari held onto his hand tightly, and she knew he could hear because then he squeezed back. "Come on Chris, go aaahhhh, Chris, aaahhhh." Chris painfully opened his mouth.

"This is very bad, his throat is almost completely swollen shut, his tonsils have flared up to an incredible size, he has severe internal bleeding, and an injured larynx. I can't do anything, he needs to get to a hospital now and seek medical attention to prevent hemereging in his neck, he will pass out without air if the flesh continues to grow more and more inflamed."

"Chris, if you can hear me, we have to get up and go now, you need to go to the hospital!" Kari pulled on his arm, but Chris resisted again, yanking it away, hating hospitals.

"No." Chris whispered hoarsely, cringing with every struggled breath.

Kari bit her lip, no surprise in his response, and looked up, "Look guys, I know you're worried and you're doing your job, but just leave him to me. I'm the only one who can help him here."

The trainer paused but then nodded as he remembered past medical experiences with the stubborn patient, "That's true… alright, I agree to leave him to you, just please do what's best and be very careful."

"I know, trust me I will." Kari gave an assuring smile and they left the room. She sighed and looked down at Chris who struggled to breathe and was in obvious pain despite the medicine they had forced into him. "Chris…"

"I'll…" He opened his eyes a bit. "I'll be alright…"

"Yeah." Kari nodded down at him. "I know you will be." She sighed, you can't force a Chris Jericho, they are stubborn, so she sat down. "I'll wait until you're ready." Chris smiled, shut his eyes, and tried to get some rest as he felt the medicine they had given him starting to kick in and work.

About an hour and a half later, the show had already long since ended, people had left and very few were still backstage in the arena but without warning, all of a sudden the power went out, the lights blacking in the late night.

"Oh no." Ivory gasped as she froze in the hall.

"Don't worry, I've got a light." Ric pulled out a small flashlight to light the way.

"Ah, whew." Ivory smiled and let out a sigh of relief. "You rock Ric!"

"I know." He scoffed proudly. "Now let's hurry up and find Triple H, I don't know why he's still here so late. He's making me worry!"

"I know." Ivory began to think to herself. 'I wonder if it's because he feels bad about Chris. Triple H knows the injury and now he and Chris have a different relationship.'

"Well, at least the injury role plaid out well, real or not, whatever happens it happens for a reason."

"It's not kind to wish anyone ill." Ivory replied, Charlie Brown style.

"Please, he is our enemy. Of course we can."

"Who is that, whose there! I can't see!"

"Oh, I know that voice!" Ivory rushed towards the sound to see a door open and Kari step out. "Kari!"

"Ivory! Oh you're here too? I'm glad you're alright. What happened?"

"I don't know. Why are you still here? We're looking for Triple H."

"I'm watching Chris, he's hurt very badly and I'm getting worried, now that the power is out I don't know what to do. The others have already left, I know they're waiting for us back at the hotel. I don't have my cell, our stuff is back in our locker room. But… we can't leave now." Kari frowned sadly.

Ivory felt bad, "We'll stay here with you, we can't leave either, not without Triple H. Right Ric?" She turned.

"Oh, ugh… fine." He folded his arms.

"Thanks." Kari nodded, smiling warmly. She felt happy with Ivory there. They went so well together, something about the presence of the other. Maybe it was because they were so much alike.

Just then another light came from around the corner, it was small, from a cell phone and Triple H appeared, "So, this is where you ran off to."

"Triple H!" Ric cried happily.

"We were so worried!" Ivory chimed in.

"It took forever to find you, don't ever do that again." He growled.

"Uh…" Ric gulped.

Triple H turned to Ivory, "I hope you are well."

"Yes, I am fairing just fine sir." Ivory smiled.

"Hmm?" Triple H turned to see Kari as well.

"Oh, um…" She gulped.

Triple H sighed and went inside, "Might as well join you, I'm the only one who can keep you all safe."

"Ah, thanks." Kari blinked.

A little bit lost and unsure of what to do, the arena doors were automatic and so ran on electricity. Unless they could find a manual door in the garage or service basement they were stuck until the lights came back on. Chris was doing worse for wears, it hadn't been long but he wasn't improving in his condition. He was still unconscious lying down, his breathing very short and struggled, and he had caught a slight fever from the loss of blood and oxygen. Kari put a damp cloth on his head and got a hot cup of water to make some green tea for him when he wakes up.

"He's not sick you know, it's an injury. That won't help him." Ric snorted.

Kari frowned, "I know, but it might help soothe the muscles in his neck if he drinks something warm. You know, like an icy hot or something."

"Clueless…" Triple H scoffed to himself, he had been quiet the whole time, a trademark of his character but he was lost in thought himself, a bit confused of what to do with what had gone on.

"Don't worry, you're doing all that you can. Chris knows you're doing your best." Ivory smiled.

"Thanks." Kari grinned back, it was hard, she needed to hear that. Chris began to cough again, it happened when his throat got dry and the swollen flesh touched, making it harder for him to breathe. "Oh, come on Chris." She grabbed a bottle of water and helped him drink it in his sleep. "Damn, I wish there was something I could do." She opened his mouth and used the second flashlight. "It looks so bad, like he's got tonsillitis or something."

"Ew, let me see." Ivory looked over her shoulder.

"Look, we don't have to keep you company. I'm going to do something useful." Ric stood up, they had found two more spare flashlights in the room and he still had his. "I'm going to look for a way out."

"Great idea! I'll go with you." Ivory jumped up and stood beside him.

"I don't need you to tag along and baby sit."

"But you could get scared of the dark." Ivory snickered.

"Please, I'm not afraid." Ric folded his arms, looking around a bit when it was safe.

"Ric and Ivory, go together." Triple H spoke up, they all turned to him.

"Two heads are better than one, be careful and come back soon. Hopefully the lights will come on. If you look out for one another maybe you can find out what tripped them and fix it too." Kari encouraged.

"Yeah, then I'll be the hero." Ric thought.

"Then it's settled, come on, let's go!" Ivory grabbed him by the arm and dragged him off.

"Whoa! Hey wait!" He stumbled and the door shut behind them.

Kari sighed and glanced over at Triple H, "Thanks."

"I didn't need your help."

"I wasn't, I was just being nice. Ivory is my friend." Kari blinked, but then again it wasn't uncommon for Triple H to say something uncanny or ruin a good moment. "If anything I should thank you." Triple H turned to her and she smiled as she stared at the floor. "I don't know what I would do in this situation, alone with Chris in the condition that he's in. It's Ric and Ivory that are going to be the heroes here and save the day. I guess now I know why you keep them around all the time, huh." She giggled and smiled up at him.

Triple H paused, in the flash of that moment, she looked exactly like Ivory, he turned away, "You talk too much. I don't need help or sympathy from anyone."

"Huh?" Her smiled faded as she opened her eyes.

"However, I will agree with you on one thing." He paused. "It is nice, sometimes…." He glanced back at her. "To not be so alone."

Kari smiled warmly with a slight chuckle, "You know, it's funny…"

"What."

She giggled behind her grin, "I've never ever seen you, this talkative. "She began to laugh behind her hand.

Triple H turned up his nose and looked away, "What an odd remark." Not that THAT was such a nice thing to say.

CRASH!

Kari gasped and jumped up, dropping the light, "What was that…!"

Triple H's body tensed and he growled, "Something is wrong."

"Ivory and Ric!" She cried. "They could be hurt!"

Triple H jumped up, "I'm going. You stay here and wait for us to come back." He ran to the door.

"Wait! Take this, you'll need a light." Kari handed him the last spare.

He looked down at it and then accepted it, "Thanks." He rushed off.

She sighed, "Good luck." But she couldn't help but smile. Triple H had said 'thanks'!

"EEEK!" Ivory was screaming, she and Ric were hiding in a closet with a large window in the door.

"Just hold on!" Ric cried, he was pushing against the door, kneeling on a chair propped up under the locked handle.

"Just do what I tell you and you won't get hurt!" A man in black was beating on the door with a blunt object, they couldn't tell if it was wood or metal. He had been the one who cut the power, he was a burglar and with not many left in the building to put up a fight, he didn't have many live pray to rob upon. Especially not wealthy wrestlers like Ric Flair. "Come out, now!"

"Ric I'm scared!" Ivory was trying not to start sobbing.

"Don't worry, I'll save you. You're safe in here." Ric growled back, but the flashlight was starting to flicker.

"Just give it up, you can't protect her." The man laughed.

"And what are you going to do about it?" Ric snarled.

"Oh you want to see?" He raised the weapon to break the glass. "No more games, no more mister nice fan!" He went to swing but stopped. "Huh…?" He looked up as he couldn't move the object. A hand was holding onto it. He turned slightly and gasped at who he saw.

"Triple H!" Ric and Ivory cried, pushing up against the window.

"For your information, I CAN protect her. So do you want to see what I'm going to do about it?" Triple H growled quietly.

The robber shook back to normal and leered at him, "I'm not afraid of you. I'm a body builder, I can take you down easily!" He clenched the object and swung it, knocking him off guard as the flashlight flew down the hall and Triple H was thrown head against the wall, causing him to slide down to the floor.

"Oh no!" Ric and Ivory gasped.

The man laughed, "See, you stunt men actors can't fight in the real world. I don't know why people love you phonies." He turned back to the victims. "Now where were we…"

"Uh…" Ric and Ivory shivered.

"Ugh…" Triple H groaned.

"Triple H, help!" Ric screamed.

"Huh?" He opened his eyes, it was hard to see in the dark, his head was spinning from the blow.

"Triple H!" Ivory cried.

'Ric… Ivory…' Triple H's eyes fluttered as his head felt heavier. He couldn't move.

"Do you have someone to protect?"

"What…?" Triple H looked around at the strange voice, it echoed in the distance. "Protect…?" He shook his head and squinted, in his mind he could see a memory in the darkness. "John? Father…?" It was John, Triple H was remembering a memory of his step-father from when he was still alive and Triple H was younger and they were having one last talk before he left to go become a wrestler.

"I hope we can always see each other as father and son, I know family has never been very big with you with your childhood. You're very lucky to come from money, but now you will learn that the world is a very different place than your home. As you go on your journey, you'll have to make the decision to follow your dream or to be involved with such things as friendship and love. Over time your views may change and you may even find somebody you care for and want to protect."

"To protect…" The young Triple H squinted.

John wore a serious expression, "Do you have someone to protect?"

"Protect…" Triple H repeated to himself.

"Triple H! Triple H help!" Ivory and Ric were crying out for him.

"Ivory. Ric." Triple H snapped out of the memory and returned to the darkness, but his mind was still not alone. "Protect…"

"Help us Triple H!" Ivory was calling out his name, and in that moment her time with Triple H seemed to flash before his eyes. Remembering every day, every emotion, every event, and he could see her face each time, whether she was happy, sad, excited, afraid, she was always there with him. "Triple H!"

"Save me Triple H!" Ric was crying out for him too, and in that moment it was the same thing, all of the years, all the time they were together, he was by his side, always defending him. He could be annoying sometimes, but no matter what, Triple H could always count on him. "Triple H!"

"Hah!" The robber was laughing, he was seeming to move in slow motion in the darkness.

"Triple H!" They cried.

"Protect…" He closed his eyes. He could see John standing in the shadows.

"Do you have somebody to protect…?"

"Protect…!" His eyes snapped open and in that flash he could see the world again. "I, protect only MYSELF!" He stood up in a rage, his voice a booming roar in the empty arena.

"Huh?" Ivory and Ric saw him, his eyes flashed with a demonic red light.

"Uh oh." The robber froze and turned around to see Triple H upon him with great speed. "Whoa!" The fight began.

"Ah!" Ivory opened the door and jumped out. "Come on Triple H!"

"You can do it, get him!" Ric cheered next to her.

"Ugh, not so fast." The robber wiped his mouth and whistled.

"Uh oh." Ivory didn't like the feeling she was getting.

"Triple H…?" Ric grew nervous as well, looking around.

"It's an ambush." Triple H growled as the rest of the gang appeared in black around them.

"I'll take some insurance!" The robber jumped over and grabbed Ivory.

"AH let me go!" She thrashed but he just laughed and rushed off.

"Ivory, no!" Ric cried, but he was helping Triple H, who was getting bombarded.

"Oh no you don't!" A fierce, raspy voice snarled and a dark figure jumped out of nowhere, causing the gang to back away as he stood next to Triple H. "Looks like you can't even handle this match without me. Feh."

"Some help you will be, tonsil boy." Triple H scrunched his nose.

"Oh lay off it." Chris barked back, his face a bit flush as he clenched his neck as he coughed to catch his breath. "No sore throat will keep me from a fight."

"This doesn't concern you."

"Oh, but you're wrong." Chris turned to face the gang who surrounded them, they stood for once back to back as allies, and yet still continued to insult each other. "I'm here for myself, I'm helping my friends."

"Strange." He smiled slyly. "Am I included in the 'friends' you speak of?"

"Oh just shut up and fight."

"I told you, I don't need help from you, or your swollen larynx." He jumped away through the crowd and rushed off, grabbing the flashlight on the ground.

"Hey…!" Chris whirled around. "Come back here!"

"I have my own business." He was gone along with Ric with his own vendetta.

"Damn him." Chris snarled and began to cough, growling as he held his chest. "This isn't going to be fun…"

"AH, help me!" Ivory was screaming as the robber carried her down the hall.

"Shut up, nobody can save you now."

"Don't be so sure."

"What…!" He stopped as somebody stood in his way.

Kari stood tall and smirked, "I think you didn't count on this cat crossing your path." She got ready to fight.

"Please." He threw Ivory down, she cried out in pain, causing Kari to gasp and loose focus for a moment. "I'm not afraid of a girl!" He raised his weapon.

"Uh…" Kari hadn't realized in the dark how big he was. "Stay back, I am a wrestler…!" She picked up things around her and began to throw them but he swung them away or she missed but either way nothing had effect. "Oh no… oh man…!"

"You picked a golden time to be a klutz!"

"Huh?" Kari turned to see a black blur rush by and tackle the robber down. "Ah…!" She gasped as the victor stood tall over the unconscious assailant. "Chris! You're okay!"

"Heh." He gave a thumbs up with a smirk. "You know it. Those robbers were just young punks, I didn't need any help and I licked them all, even with an injured throat."

"I was so worried, why didn't you come sooner!" She yelled.

"Huh…!" Chris was taken back.

"I could've been hurt, Ivory could've been killed!"

"How was I supposed to know he took her, you're the one who needs saving you klutzy idiot!"

"You're the idiot!"

Ivory watched in shock as they quarreled but smiled and couldn't help but giggled, "They really do, care for each other." She was happy, she hoped one day to have that kind of relationship with the man she loved.

"Ivory!"

"Ah, Ric!" Ivory stood up gingerly.

"You've been hurt, Chris you are an idiot." Ric growled.

"See." Kari scoffed.

"Hey." He growled and turned to Ric. "You should thank me, I beat up all of those guys AND did your job for you."

"That's right." Kari stood next to him. "He saved her without anybody asking. Shows how much Triple H cares for her."

"Huh." Ivory gasped, what if she was right.

Just then, the world became lit up, "Ah." A sigh of relief.

"He did it, he must've found the problem and fixed it. We can see again! Wooo!" Ric cheered.

"So what, that's where he went? He cared more about the lights then helping this girl that cares for him?" Chris frowned.

"He knew Ivory could handle herself, without help from you guys."

"He did?" Ivory looked up with hope for what Ric said. She smiled as her eyes shook, he had to be right. She must be getting stronger for him to believe in her like that.

"Now come on, I can't stand hanging around with the likes of you anymore. We don't need you and we didn't ever. If anything you needed us." Ric turned to go.

Ivory smiled and turned to Kari, "I don't care what he says, I'm glad and I thank you." She hugged Kari and ran after Ric. "Good bye guys!"

"Bye Ivory!" Kari waved, smiling happily just like Ivory.

"Feh, I don't know what she sees in them." Chris turned away and his body cringed as he clenched his neck again.

"I'm sure they could say the same about us." Kari approached him, grinning.

"Hey…" Chris made a long face but then started to cough and clenched his neck. "Oh damn it all…"

"Come on, take it easy now. Stop talking! We can leave and you can get some rest at the hotel." Kari led him back to get their stuff out of the room and then leave.

"Yeah, alright…" Chris grumbled, walking with her. "Guh, if I remember this injury right from Triple H's, I'm gonna be sick like strep for at least two weeks. Ugh, no talking or eating solids for a half month won't be fun…"

"Yeah, well maybe it will teach you to take better care of yourself. Oh wait." She stopped. "Here, I have a present for you, maybe this will help your neck feel better."

"Hmm." Chris smiled and closed his eyes.

"Okay, there you go!"

"Ah… huh?" Chris opened and looked around, then felt on his chest, picking up his rings on the chains. "Oh, I forgot about these… all this time, just being with you it all felt like it was business as usual. Even my neck felt normal."

Kari smiled, "I guess it was just a case of mind over matter."

"No ring could ever replace you, I cherish my friends and family more than anything in the world. I wouldn't ever sell out the ones I love for a business proposition or title."

"I guess that's where you and Triple H are different."

"Yeah. But still, I can't help but wonder now, what could've been…"

"Yeah, who knows…" Who knows, you can't change the past, but you can still always dream. And if you dream hard enough, and want it bad enough, a dream can come true. I know Ivory sure hopes so…!

And so in the end everything went back to normal, the robbers were arrested, Ivory and Ric and Triple H went on as if nothing had happened, though Ivory did have a new best friend in Kari. Chris and Kari returned to their group of friends. Chris and Triple H never did pick up where they left off, the storyline ended as soon as it had begun and Linda created new plots for everyone. Chris's throat took a few weeks to recover but he was soon complaining and growling like normal, thanks to the help of his own personal nurse Kari. The world continued to turn. The only difference was that Chris and Triple H knew the past. But would they learn from it, would this knowledge change the future? Kari sure hopes so… hmm, I guess Ivory and Kari sure are more alike than they realize! Will they ever? I sure hope so…! …gotcha.

**A/N**:_ I do realize that Triple H's parents are Paul and Patricia, and Lynn is his sister. But I didn't want to make things any more complicated or confusing than they already may be, so rather I named Lynn his mother and made up John as the name of his dad, and didn't include any sister because then Chris would have another cousin he didn't know about and then things would become even more messy with another character getting involved in all of this. This is all purely fanfiction. Either way I hope you enjoyed my story, something different, but I enjoyed writing it. I wish it lasted longer and I wanted to make it really good, so I know it can be better, but as long as somebody enjoyed it, I'm happy._


End file.
